Chad’s Morning Brief: Occupy Lubbock Must Move, Gas Prices on the Top of Mind of Voters, & More

Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of March 9, 2012. Give us your feedback below and tune in to Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty for these and many more topics from 6-9 am.

1. Occupy Lubbock Has to Move

According to local reports, Occupy Lubbock will have to move soon. The encampment has been going on for a while now, but since Spring is around the corner they will have to move. This week the Lubbock Parks and Recreation department told the occupy group that soon they would have to pack up as grounds keepers prepare the area for Spring, including mowing the area. Officials say this could happen in April and mowing is planned throughout the Summer.

The incoming Lubbock County Democratic Chairman and organizer of Occupy Lubbock, Kenny Ketner, told the local paper:

“I don’t think this is a sinister act by the city of Lubbock or anything like that,” said Occupy Lubbock organizer Kenny Ketner. “The city has worked really well with us over the past months.”

Ketner told the paper that his group would discuss a number of different options going forward, including ending their camping out phase.

It's about time that the City do something to get rid of the eyesore at 19th and University. I have no problem with people protesting, but setting up a tent city isn't protesting. It's camping out. The City of Lubbock should have taken action a while ago, but at least they are doing something now. The people I feel bad for are the owners and customers of Staybridge Suites, the hotel next door to the encampment. The hotel had to put up a wall to block the protesters from sight. A wall, that the protesters should have paid for themselves. Who knows how much money Staybridge lost during this time because of the presence of the group.

The truth is, and none of the Occupiers will admit this, but the "movement" is dead. Nationally, no one cares about the Occupy protests. The participants aren't taken seriously and really they shouldn't be. The group never could come up with a message locally or nationally. It's a joke and for Lubbock, it's been an eyesore.

In seven Super Tuesday states, 77% of voters said that gas prices could be the most important factor in how they vote. While that sounds great for Republicans, I'm not so sure it is. While gas prices are high, they don't rank in the top reasons to vote category for me in this election. I am more concerned about the loss of personal and religious freedom. I am more concerned about taxes and the deficit. ObamaCare continuing should be a concern of all people. Then, maybe gas prices.

The problem is, we all know gas prices will come down at some point. If a potential conflict with Iran subsides, oil prices will plummet. Speculators will change their speculations at some point and we will be back down into the $2.90 or less range eventually. Personally, I think we will see it around November.

The problem with many voters out there is that they just look at the short term and what benefits them right now. That's not good for the GOP.

An Israeli official on Thursday said that Israel has asked the United States for "bunker-buster" bombs. Hmm... I wonder why. According to Reuters:

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that military capabilities came up in discussions between Netanyahu and Panetta but did not elaborate. No deals were struck during those talks, the official added.

Netanyahu made clear to Obama at a White House meeting on Monday that Israel had not yet decided on military action against Iran, the White House has said.

Netanyahu has hinted that Israel could resort to force should Tehran - which denies suspicions that it is covertly trying to develop atomic bombs - continue to defy big powers' diplomatic pressure to curb its nuclear program.

The big question is, would the bunker-buster bombs be effective. The military is working on a bigger version of the bunker-buster that would penetrate deeper. There is some thought that Iran's nuclear program could be deep under ground in many areas.

Do you think Israel will bomb Iran in 2012? Also, will the United States stand with Israel if they do bomb?

“We’re going to fund this program. … That’s a moot point,” Perry said. He declined to say where he'd get the roughly $35 million the federal government provides every year, but told reporters that the state would not drop the program that has become a political football between Washington and Texas.

“We’ll find the money. The state is committed to this program,” he told reporters. “This program is not going away.”

Perry and Republican leaders in the Legislature don’t want Planned Parenthood to be allowed to participate in the $40-million-per-year program, which is designed to help low-income women get birth-control pills, family-planning help and cancer screenings. Though no clinics that accept funding from the program may perform abortions, the state's Health and Human Services Commissioner signed a rule last week that forces Planned Parenthood clinics, which provide more than 40 percent of the program's services, out of the program anyway.

A great story about a son donating a kidney to his mom on Valentine's Day.

Davis’ son, Amado “Moe” Coronado, 23, said at first, his mother wouldn’t hear of any of her children being tested to be kidney donors. Davis and her husband, Keith Davis, have six children, who range in age from 17 to 26.

“She told us she didn’t want any of the kids to even try for whatever reason. That’s the way I took it at first. I listened to her,” Coronado said. “Probably after a week, I thought about it and said, ‘That’s not her decision to make.’ I happened to go in there one day and gave blood samples and ended up being a match. As soon as I found that out, we ended up jumping right into it.”

Good job to her son. It's always great to see family looking out for each other.

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.